The most powerful attitude to cultivate inner peace and move forward through uncertain times

We all want something more in life, but do we always know what we want more of?

Many times, I’ll ask one of my close friends or companions a simple question: “What are you really hungry for right now?” They know what I’m really asking: it’s not about food or material need. It’s about their spiritual need and mental health; what are they hungry for that can make them feel fulfilled, not full.

Their answers usually end up being one of the three: “Peace.” “More time.” “A greater connection with the present.”

Their needs may be much more difficult to find solutions to than ordering an item on a menu at a restaurant, but it definitely isn’t impossible.

All of our goals, even those that seem to be the hardest to attain, can be reached through simplifying the way we perceive and engage in our daily lives.

And one of the most direct ways to simplify our lives, taking us a step closer towards the inner serenity that we yearn for, is letting go.

James is often considered an expert in finding the happiness and inner peace that so many of us seek. He is the author of the books, Awakening Joy and Awakening Joy for Kids, and leads a class to help people find their joy from within.

In James’ teachings, he discusses how letting go can further enrich our lives. He shares his strategies for finding more happiness with less things, helping more people find the contentment in their lives that they were lacking.

But letting go isn’t just about throwing things into the trash and decluttering your house. There are three specific types of letting go that we can experience, and these include:

1) Busyness

This is perhaps the most important “letting go” that we can undergo.

The modern world may have given us luxuries and comforts that humanity has never had the pleasure of experiencing, but it came with a price. The price? Our time and mental health.

These days, it is impossible to be an active part of society without exposing yourself to the unending list of tasks and responsibilities, the constant barrage of noise and sound, and the information overload streaming straight at us from our various news feeds and social channels.

There are only so many hours in a day, and so many of them are already taken the moment that you get out of bed.

How often can we sum up the courage and say to ourselves, “No”? Not often enough.

The best way to find more and experience more is to take on less. With less on your plate—less information, fewer tasks, fewer responsibilities—you can experience more of what you keep.

2) Story

We all carry with us our own stories. These stories come out during certain situations or times of struggle, and they bring with them their own sets of negative associations.

For example, when you feel rejection in your professional or personal life, you may immediately fall back to your familiar narrative of “I wasn’t good enough anyway,” or “They never gave me a chance.”

These stories are harmful. We fall back to them because they comfort us with familiarity; they structure events as a cause and effect.

Instead, you need to let go of the chip on your shoulder and rewrite the story that exists in your head.

Turn your story into something positive that cheers you up even in the toughest times, such as, “I have people around me who love me and I can move forward with my life.”

By having the strength to tell yourself a positive story, you can find inner peace and calm even in the roughest phases of your life.

3) Stuff

And finally, we come to the “letting go” that many of us are familiar with: letting go of stuff.

Let go of your material possessions. We must be reminded time and time again of this truth, because it always creeps back in our life.

The need to find fulfillment in pretty objects and expensive possessions is one that can sneak up on us, until one day we are so emotionally attached to so many things that we become fractured versions of ourselves.

We divide our attention and our love into a hundred things that have no inherent meaning or value, and we lose a part of ourselves in the process.

Things cannot fill the hunger or the void; they simply distract us from the need to find fulfillment, which is why we always need more. But ask yourself: how much do you really need?

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A quick message from Lachlan Brown, the founder of Hack Spirit

In 2018, the third year of Hack Spirit, I poured thousands of hours and considerable resources into creating these articles. It's a labor of love and remains free thanks to your patronage. If you found any value in these articles, please consider supporting what I do with a donation. Your support is what helps me to continue creating more Hack Spirit articles. To make a donation, select the amount and click the "donate" button below.

I've always been passionate about eastern philosophy, ever since I became aware that western philosophy places too much emphasis on being positive and happy all the time. I prefer to keep things simple, and I hope you enjoy my writing on Hack Spirit.